This weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix not solely represents the MotoGP’s first European occasion since final yr’s Barcelona finale, however a key checkpoint in understanding the pecking order for the 2025 season.
That’s in keeping with Trackhouse Aprilia group principal Davide Brivio, whose squad arrives with rookie Ai Ogura having taken Aprilia’s finest race outcomes of the season up to now.
That got here within the type of fifth (Dash) and fourth (GP) within the Buriram season opener. The three rounds since have been much less profitable, however Ogura has managed a high ten look in a single race per weekend.
In the meantime, Ducati riders have crammed the rostrum in all eight races – after Maverick Vinales’ tyre penalty in Qatar – with the RS-GP presently locked in an in depth battle with Honda, Yamaha and KTM equipment for better of the remaining.
“In fact, Jerez is a conventional appointment for MotoGP and we’re glad to begin to race in Europe,” Brivio stated.
“Additionally, it’s an necessary second the place I believe we are going to begin to perceive the ‘values’ inside this season; the place we’re, what we are able to do.”
Ogura skilled his hardest race within the premier-class final time in Qatar, crossing the road in fifteenth.
However the Japanese has fond reminiscences of Jerez, the place he claimed victory within the Moto2 class in 2022 and took a win on Moto3 equipment again in 2017 in the course of the Spanish CEV Junior Championship.
“Lastly, we’re coming to Europe,” stated Ogura.
“Jerez is considered one of my favorite circuits in Spain… I simply can’t wait to begin the weekend at one other circuit – we construct up, little by little and so I’m trying ahead to beginning right here.”
Workforce-mate Raul Fernandez is trying to find a breakthrough after being outpaced by Ogura in all 4 rounds up to now this season.
“To start with, I wish to really feel snug on the bike,” admitted Fernandez, who has a finest GP results of twelfth this yr.
“Proper now, we couldn’t discover something to be actually quick… It is going to be essential to really feel good on the bike once more and to be quick as a result of till now I couldn’t exploit the utmost potential of the bike.”
Manufacturing facility Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi is the main Aprilia rider with seventh place on this planet championship however is barely three factors forward of Ogura.
